Automatic skin clip inserter



April 1941- L. HUMPHREYS ETAL 2,238,736

AUTOMATIC SKIN CLIP INSERTER Filed March 13, 1940 L Hum hr fi Char-IL-LE I-Ium'E'I-LPE ATTORNEYS.

INVENTORS" Q w w Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEAUTOMATIC SKIN CLIP INSERTER Lynn Humphrey's and Charlcie Humphreys,Knoxville, Tenn.

Application March 13, 1940, Serial No. 323,830

7 Claims.

- This invention relates to improvements in surgical instruments of thecharacter shown and described in U. S. Patent 1,199,653 granted toBacolini, and more specifically to improvements in automatic surgicalskin clip inserting devices to be filled with series of Michel surgicalskin clips for use in the closure of surgical incisions and wounds.

In the Bacolini patent, the skin clips are slidably supported byparallel rods of a clip carrier and feeder within a channeled housing,the arrangement requiring removal of the clip carrier and feeder fromthe channeled housing in order to replenish the supply of skin clips.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a generallyimproved and simplified automatic skin clip inserting device, the clipsupply of whichma'y be readily replenished without the necessity ofdismantling or removal of parts.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of adevice of the character described, including a clip carrier and feederto be disposed adjacent the skin surface in straddling relation to anincision or wound to be closed, and a clip manipulating or clampinginstrument fixed to the clip carrier and feeder so as to be disposedsubstantially perpendicular to the skin surface against which the clipcarrier and feeder is positioned.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallyfeeding skin clips to clip manipulating tweezers of the characterincluding arms that are crossed intermediate their end portions so thatthe tweezers may be positively opened and closed by pressing togetherdifferent portions of the outer faces of the tweezer arms.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification, and in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the automatic skin clip insertingdevice and showing the clip manipulating tweezers in their closedposition.

Figures 2 and 3 are bottom plan views of the device and showing the'clipmanipulating tweezers in their closed and open positions, respectively.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken sub stantially on the line 4-4of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially onthe line 5-5 of Figure l f and showing the tweezers in their openposition.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 and showing the tweezers inpartially closed position.

In the drawing, which for the purpose of illusiii) yokeplate 2| and across piece 22.

tration shows only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and whereinsimilar reference automatic, skin clip inserting device, including acarrier and feeder "5 for supplying a series of clips H to a clipmanipulating instrument It.

Referring first to the carrier and feeder IS, the same comprises a pairof guide bars 20 secured in spaced parallel relation by a transverse Theguide bars 20 along their inner sides are provided with longitudinalsubstantially semi-cylindrical grooves 23 for slidably supporting theclips ll at their opposite end eye portions 24, and in their bases theguide bars 20 are beveled to form niches 25 laterally communicatin withthe grooves 23 and providing for the insertion of the clips 17thereinto. Slidably supported in the grooves 23 behind the series ofclips I1 is a follower block 26 having a stem 21 slidably extending thruthe cross piece 22 and terminating in a spherical knob 28. Encirclingthe stern between the cross piece 22 and the follower block 26 is anexpansion coil spring 29 urging the follower block away from the crosspiece 22 and thereby tending to feed the skin clips I1 toward thedischarge end portion 30 of the carrier and feeder. Instead of insertingthe clips one at a time thru the niches 25, an entire wire or series ofclips may of course be placed in the carrier by removing the cross piece22 and associated parts including the follower block 26. From aninspection of Figures 1-3 of the drawing, it will be noted that thegrooves 23 terminate at the discharge end portion 38 of the carrier andfeeder slightly inwardly of the ends of the parallel bars 20'and thatthe inner sides of these bars 20 are provided, with notches 3|transversely of the terminal ends of the grooves 23.

Fixedly secured in one of the notches 3|, as by welding 35, is one arm36 of a pair of clip manipulating tweezers 31,, the other arm 38 ofwhich is swingable between the notches 3| across the path of travel ofthe clips. The arm 36 is provided with a channel 39 forming acontinuation of one of the grooves 23 and the arm 38 is formed with asimilar channel 40 forming an extension of the other of said grooves 23only upon opening of the tweezer arms to the posi tion illustrated inFigures 3 and 5. Extending laterally from the arm 38 is a wire 4| lyingin an are described by swinging of the arm 38, and slidably accommodatedin a passageway 42. This wire 4| constitutes an abutment normallydisposed in the path of travel of the skin clips 11, as shown in Figures1 and. 2, but movable with the swinging arm 38, upon opening of thetweezers, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, to a position laterally of thepath of travel of the clips.

end portions 41 include corrugated surfaces 48 r and 49 adjacent thecrossed intermediate portions 45.

In the utilization of. the clip inserting device, the operator holds theclip manipulating tweezers 31 perpendicular to the incision thusdisposing the clip carrier and feeder l6 directly above and parallel tothe incision. The carrier and feeder l6 may be turned to or from theoperator, depending on the character of the wound or incision. Pressingtogether the upper corrugated surfaces 49 will open the tweezers and theforemost suture or skin clip I! will slide between the arms thereof.With the two walls of the incision temporarily drawn together, as bysurgical forceps, the operator, by pressing together the lowercorrugated surfaces 48, closes the tweezers so as to buckle the slightlybowed intermediate portion of the clip and force the prongs thereof intothe walls of the incision in clamped relation. The foregoing operationis repeated until sufficient clips have been inserted to completelyclose the incision, the number used depending on the length of the cut.

- Various changes may be made in the form of invention herein shown anddescribed without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a surgical device, a pair of tweezers having first and secondrelatively movable arms crossed intermediate their plying and shank endportions so that pressing the outer faces of the shank end portions willtend to open the tweezers and so that pressing the outer faces of theplying end portions will tend to close the tweezers, said tweezers beingbiased toward their closed position, and means secured to said firsttweezer arm for feeding skin clips, upon successive openings of thetweezers, between the plying end portions thereof.

2. In a surgical device, a pair of tweezers having first and secondrelatively movable arms crossed intermediate their plying and shank endportions so that pressing the outer faces of the shank end portions willtend to open the tweezers and so that pressing the outer faces of theplying end portions will tend to close the tweezers, said tweezers beingbiased toward their closed position, means secured to said first tweezerarmfor feeding skin clips, upon successive openings of the tweezers,between the plying end portions thereof, and an abutment carried by thesecond tweezer arm to normally prevent feeding of the skin clips, saidabutment, upon opening of the tweezers, being carried out of the path offeed of the skin clips.

3. A surgical instrument comprising a frame provided with first andsecond parallel grooves forming a guideway for slidably supporting aseries of skin clips at their opposite end portions, said guidewayhaving a discharge end portion provided with a notch transversely ofsaid first groove, spring means for urging said series of clips towardsaid discharge end portion,

and a clamping arm carried by the frame for movement between said notchand said second groove, said arm being provided with a channel aligningwith said first groove upon disposition of said arm in said notch,whereby a skin clip .will be fed between the clamping arm and the secondgroove upon disposition of said arm in said notch.

4. A surgical instrument comprising a frame provided with first andsecond parallel grooves forming a uideway for slidably supporting aseries of skin clips at their opposite end portions, said guidewayhaving a discharge end portion provided with first and second notchestransversely of said first and second grooves respec tively, springmeans for urging said series of clips toward said discharge end portion,an instrument having a first arm fixedly secured in said first notch anda second arm movable between said first arm and said second notch, saidfirst arm being provided with a channel aligning with the first grooveand said second arm being provided with a channel aligning with thesecond groove upon disposition of the second arm in the second notch,whereby a skin clip will be fed between the arms of said instrument upondisposition of the second arm in the second notch.

5. A surgical device comprising a skin clip applying instrument, a guidefor directing skin clips toward the instrument including parallelmembers provided with grooves for slidably supporting the skin clips attheir opposite ends, said members being provided with nichescommunicating with said grooves and forming a lateral entrance for skinclips, clip follower means reciprocable along said guide, and meansurging said follower means toward said clip applying instrument forfeeding the clips thereto, said follower means being retractible topermit replenishment of the supply of clips by insertion of the clipsthru said lateral entrance into the guide in advance of the followermeans.

6. In a surgical device, a pair of tweezers having first and secondrelatively movable arms crossed intermediate their plying and shank endportions so that pressing the outer faces of the shank end portions willtend to open the tweezers and so that pressing the-outer faces of theplying end portions will tend to close the tweezers, and means securedto said first tweezer arm for feeding skin clips, upon successiveopenings of the tweezers, between the plyingend portions thereof. I i

'7. In a surgical device, a pair of tweezers having first and secondrelatively movable arms crossed intermediate their plyingand shank endportions so that'pressing the outer faces of the shank end portions willtend to open the tweezers and so that pressing the outer faces of theplying end portions will tend to close the tweezers,

means secured to said first tweezer arm for feedmg skin clips, uponsuccessive openings of the CHARLCIE HUMPHREYS. v

